Belichick breaks silence on Hernandez

Rich Garven, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Published Wednesday July 24, 2013 at 7:02 pm

FOXBORO — Bill Belichick is frequently combative, distrustful and abrupt when discussing his football team with outsiders. But there was understandably none of that Wednesday afternoon as the Patriots coach spoke publicly for the first time about the arrest and team's release of tight end Aaron Hernandez.

Rather, Belichick was solemn, revealing and thoughtful while meeting with a media contingent of 100 and facing a bank of 24 video cameras for 22 minutes at Gillette Stadium, just two days before the Patriots open training camp here — something that undoubtedly factored into the timing of this unexpected and unusual press conference.

"You know, it's a sad day," Belichick said early on while reading from a lengthy prepared statement, which was the only time he mentioned Hernandez by name. "It's really a sad day on so many levels.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim and I extend my sympathy really to everyone who has been impacted. A young man lost his life and his family has suffered a tragic loss and there's no way to understate that."

Hernandez, a member of the Patriots since being drafted in 2010, was cut just hours after being arrested June 26. He was charged later that day with the first-degree murder of Odin Lloyd, who was found June 17 with five bullet holes in him not far from Hernandez's North Attleboro home, and the unlawful possession of five firearms.

At the same time Belichick was facing the media Wednesday, Hernandez was appearing in Bristol County Courthouse for a probable cause hearing that was rescheduled to Aug. 22 to give prosecutors more time to gather evidence.

Belichick pointed out the Patriots acted "swiftly and decisively" in cutting Hernandez and explained he was "personally disappointed and hurt in a situation like this."

Owner Robert Kraft said earlier this month he felt "duped" by Hernandez, who was signed to a contract extension worth $40 million prior to last season. Belichick refrained from going there after being asked if he had similar feelings.

"These events were very unexpected," Belichick did say when asked what the past month has been like for him. "I was out of the country for a period of time (on vacation), but followed everything closely through other people in the organization, and we've made the decisions that we felt were right for the football team, and we'll continue to do that and be as diligent as we can going forward."

Belichick was asked — and answered — two dozen questions, but not before saying he wouldn't comment directly on the Hernandez situation out of respect for the judicial process. He has advised his players to do the same.

The Patriots' six captains from last season, including Tom Brady and Vince Wilfork, are scheduled to meet with the media here Thursday. While they will certainly be asked about Hernandez, it's expected they'll follow their boss' directive and decline to specifically discuss the situation involving their former teammate.

Despite having elite talent, numerous NFL teams took Hernandez off their draft board due to maturity issues that manifested itself in a number of ways from testing positive for marijuana to being involved in a physical altercation with a fellow student at the University of Florida.

The Patriots weighed the risks versus the rewards and opted to take a chance on Hernandez, drafting him in the fourth round three years ago. They followed the same protocol they do with every player they scout, part of a process that has served them well while reaching five Super Bowls in the past 12 seasons.

"We do the same thing with all our players," Belichick said. "We take a look, as I said, at their personal family life. We look at the history of what they've done in high school and college. In short, we accumulate all the information we can accumulate wherever that information comes from and try to analyze it and make the best decision that we can make for our football team on a case-by-case basis. It's the same for every single player. The process is the same."

Belichick admitted the process could be modified going forward, but he doesn't anticipate any major changes, citing the organization's long track record of success during his stewardship.

"Of the hundreds of players we've had through this program in the last 14 years, there's been a lot of good ones, a lot of real good ones," he said. "We'll try to do a good job in bringing people into this organization and try to learn from the mistakes that we've made, of which there have been plenty. We're always trying to do a better job on that, and that's what we'll continue to do."

Belichick declined to say if he has spoken with Hernandez since his name first surfaced in the investigation and issued a stern "no" when asked if the organization had any inkling about Hernandez's being linked to other murders.

Whether Hernandez is found innocent or guilty will be decided at a future time. But the Patriots are determined to not let it become a distraction as they begin preparations for the 2013 season, which gets under way Sept. 8 in Buffalo.

"It's time for the New England Patriots to move on," Belichick said. "That's what our job is. Our goals are the same: to have a winning football team, to be a pillar in the community. That's what our direction is. That's what we're going to do."